Islamic Worldview (10): Nurturing the Soul – The Bridge to the Divine

Islamic Worldview Series

What is the Soul?

The soul is an enigmatic essence, shrouded in mystery and beyond the grasp of physical perception. This profound ambiguity regarding the soul’s nature has led many materialists of the modern age to disregard it entirely, sidelining its significance.

However, dismissing the soul is a grave mistake. Consider the human faculties of memory and cognition: while these processes are invisible in themselves, their outcomes—our ability to remember and understand—are undeniable. Despite our lack of understanding of how these processes occur, their effects compel us to acknowledge their existence.

Similarly, the soul, though its nature remains veiled, reveals itself through its outcomes and operations. It is the unseen force behind remarkable phenomena like intuition, prophetic dreams, and telepathy. One famous example of the soul’s extraordinary reach is the story of Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA), who shouted to his army commander, "O Sariyah, the mountain! The mountain!" across thousands of miles. Sariyah heard him, acted accordingly, and averted a disaster.


Defining the Soul

Attempting to define the soul often feels like trying to describe memory or understanding: elusive and self-referential. However, we can describe the soul as the energy that connects a person to the unknown, to the unseen world beyond the senses.

  • Intuition is a product of the soul.
  • Prophetic dreams stem from the soul’s depth.
  • Telepathy, as seen in Umar’s story, reflects the soul’s ability to transcend physical limitations.

Despite these incredible phenomena, they are only secondary functions of the soul.


The Soul’s Primary Purpose

The soul’s ultimate function transcends these wondrous capacities. Its core purpose is far more profound: to serve as the bridge that connects humanity to Allah. Through the soul, human beings establish their relationship with their Creator, aligning themselves with the eternal and the divine.


A Glimpse into Upcoming Discussions

In future articles, we will delve deeper into:

  • How Islam views the soul and its role.
  • The spiritual nurturing prescribed in Islam to refine and elevate the soul.
  • Methods within Islamic nurturing that purify and strengthen the soul’s connection to Allah.

While we marvel at the soul’s extraordinary capabilities, we must remember that its true greatness lies in fulfilling its divine role—establishing and sustaining our connection with Allah. This connection is the essence of life, the purpose of creation, and the pathway to ultimate fulfillment.


This is the call of the soul: to transcend the material, embrace the unseen, and find peace in its Creator. Let us nurture our souls to fulfill this noble purpose.

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